Abstract
The Cretaceous in southern China is mainly a set of red and mauve clastic rock, with evaporation layers. For lack of source rock, it has been paid little attention to in the exploration process. With the development of research on hydrocarbon exploration, the masses of Cretaceous reservoirs and shows have been found in recent years. This means that the Cretaceous has great exploration potential. According to the research, authors find that the high-quality reservoir and efficient cap rocks develop in the Cretaceous. At the same time, the Cretaceous and underlying Paleozoic-Early Mesozoic marine strata and overlying Cenozoic nonmarine strata constitute a superimposed basin. Moreover, high-quality source rocks developed in the above-mentioned two sets of strata. In the south, especially in the middle and lower Yangtze region since the Himalayan strong rift was associated with a large number of faults, These faults connect the Cretaceous reservoir and its overlying and underlying source rocks, forming the fault-based and unconformity-based discontinuous source-reservoir-cap accumulation assemblages. Because the Cretaceous has the abundant oil and gas from Paleogene source rocks or Mesozoic-Paleozoic source rocks with secondary hydrocarbon generation ability, three types of reservoirs develop in the Cretaceous: “new-generating and old-reservoiring” reservoirs, “old-generating andnew-reservoiring” reservoirs, and few “self-generating andself-reservoiring” reservoirs. The hydrocarbon enrichment depends on two key factors. Firstly, Cretaceous reservoirs are near to the source kitchens, so its oil and gas source is ample. Secondly, the fault system is well developed, which provides the necessary conducting systems for hydrocarbon accumulation.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ma L, Chen H J, Gan K W, et al. Tectonic and Marine Petroleum Geology in Southern China (in Chinese). Beijing: Geological Publishing House, 2004. 59–82
Wang G H, Zhao Z J, Li D C, et al. Marine Petroleum Geology and Exploration Prospect of Southern China. In: Gao R Q, Zhao Z Z, eds. Exploration in New Petroleum Area of China (Vol.5) (in Chinese). Beijing: Petroleum Industry Press, 2001. 126–135
She X Y, Xu H J, He Z L. Tectonic characteristics and evolution of Mesozoic and Paleozoic in Lower Yangtze region, Jiangsu. Oil Gas Geol, 2004, 25(2): 226–230
Wang Z C, Zhao W Z, Zhang L, et al. Tectonic Sequence and Gas Exploration in Sichuan Basin (in Chinese). Beijing: Geological Publishing House, 2002. 76–84
Li Q, Wu M N, Wang B J. Pooling conditions of multi-source secondary oil reservoirs in the East of Jianghan Basin (in Chinese). J Jianghan Petrol Inst, 2003, 25(1): 14–16
Ye Z, Zhi J S, Liang X, et al. Oil and gas exploration prospect of Pre-Cretaceous in Jianghan Basin (in Chinese). Gas Ind, 2005, 25(2): 14–19
Yue W Z, Ding B L. Study on Cretaceous stratigraphic sequence of continental basin in Jiangsu (in Chinese). Volcanol Mineral Resour, 1999, 20(4): 287–344
Jiang Y H, Ye Z Z. Types, sedimentary characteristics and geodynamic settings of Mesozoic oil-bearing basins in Jiangsu Province and adjacent areas (in Chinese). Volcanol Mineral Resour, 1999, 20(1): 1–12
Guo Z W, Deng K L, Han Y H, et al. Formation and Evolution of Sichuan Basin (in Chinese). Beijing: Geological Publishing House, 1996. 86–87
Duan J Z. Petroleum geology of Cretaceous System in Jianghan Basin and its oil potential (in Chinese). Oil Gas Geol, 1989, 10(1): 89–93
Zhang H F, Fang C L, Gao X Z, et al. Petroleum Geology (in Chinese). Beijing: Petroleum Industry Press, 1999. 112–114
Chen B, Xiao Q G. Seal of Wancheng Fault and its control to hydrocarbon accumulation in the southwest of Jianghan Basin (in Chinese). J Oil Gas Tech, 2006, 28(3): 1–5
Chen B, Han D K, Luo M X, et al. Researches on secondary hydrocarbon generation in southwest of Jianghan Basin and its effects on hydrocarbon accumulation (in Chinese). Oil Gas Geol, 2006, 27(4): 557–562
Chen B, Han D K, Luo M X, et al. Characteristics and exploration potential of Cretaceous reservoirs in Jianghan Basin (in Chinese). J Oil Gas Tech, 2006, 28(6): 27–31
Chen A D, Liu D Y, Liu Z M. Demonstration and quantitative study of late hydrocarbon generation of marine Meso-Paleozoic source rocks in Jiangsu, Lower Yangtze Region (in Chinese). Marine Petrol Geol, 2001, 6(4): 27–33
Ma A L, Bao J P, Wang P R, et al. The origin of natural gas in Yancheng Sag. Petrol Geol Develop, 2001, 28(6): 42–44
Xu Z L. New evidence for natural gas source of Zhujiadun Gas Field (in Chinese). Geol J Chin Univ, 2002, 8(4): 423–427
Chen A D, Wang W J, Yue K G, et al. Gas source of Zhujiadun gas field in Yancheng basin and its discovery significance. Petrol Geol Develop, 2001, 28(6): 45–49
Chen H, Wen K D, Chen L J. Reservoir characteristics of Huangqiao and Zhujiadun gasfields in Subei basin: Enlightening on exploration prospect of Jianghan basin (in Chinese). Marine Petrol Geol, 2005, 10(4): 23–29
Guo N F, Zheng X G. Conditions of hydrocarbon accumulation in Subei basin and its regional selection evaluation (in Chinese). Gas Ind, 1999, 19(3): 6–14
Liu H Y. Prognosis of the reservoir formation model and typical hydrocarbon reservoir of Upper Cretaceous in Subei Basin. Offshore Oil, 2006, 26(1): 11–16
Liang X, Ye Z, Wu G Y, et al. Sedimentary and tectonic features and its geological evolution of Poyang basin (in Chinese). Chin J Geol, 2006, 41(3): 404–429
Liang X, Ye Z, Zheng H P, et al. Demonstration of late hydrocarbon generation from marine source rocks in Nanpoyang Depression, Poyang Basin (in Chinese). Marine Petrol Geo, 2005, 10(3): 7–17
Zhao Z J, Zhu Y, Li D C. Formation rules and prediction of exploration targets of Paleozoic-Mesozoic oil-gas reservoirs in southern China (in Chinese). Acta Geol Sin, 2002, 22(5): 1–5
Konguhov A I, Maleki B. The Persian Gulf basin: Geological history, sedimentary formations and petroleum potential. Lithol Mineral, 2006, 41(4): 344–361
Konert G, Afifi A M, Al-Hajri S A, et al. Paleozoic stratigraphy and hydrocarbon habitat of the Arabian plate. AAPG Memoir 2001. 74: 483–515
Macgregor D S. The Hydrocarbon systems of North Africa. Marine Petrol Geol, 1996, 13(3): 329–340
Sun L N, Shahin Y M, Loydell D, et al. Anatomy of a world-class source rock: Distribution and depositional model of Silurian organic-rich shale in Jordan and implications for hydrocarbon potential. AAPG Bull, 2005, 89(10): 1397–1427
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Supported by Exploration guiding projects of SINOPEC (Grant No. KT-2006-15)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Chen, B., Zhang, C., Luo, M. et al. Hydrocarbon accumulation model of the Cretaceous in southern China. Sci. China Ser. D-Earth Sci. 52 (Suppl 1), 77–87 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-009-5012-x
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-009-5012-x